The Education and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 is about ensuring our education system works for every child, no matter where they live.
It delivers practical reforms to
• strengthen re-engagement pathways,
• support continuity of education during disruption,
• reduce unnecessary red tape,
• and ensure education remains central even for young people in youth justice settings.
These are practical reforms designed to deal with real problems. Problems that impact my region daily.
It’s no secret in Cairns that disengagement from education is not an abstract policy issue.
Disengagement is often the first warning sign that a young person is falling through the cracks. When a young person disconnects from school, they lose structure, support, and a sense of direction.
No young person sets out to disengage; it is usually a sign something deeper is not working for them. If we do not re-engage them early, that gap can quickly turn into long-term disadvantage.
Across Australia, around one in five students, 20 per cent, are disengaged from school in some form.
In Queensland, among students who leave school early, more than 27 per cent are not in education, employment or training at all.
That is more than one in four young people at risk of being left behind.
When kids miss out on education, it is not just a gap in learning, it is a gap in opportunity and future pathways.
And we know where this can lead. To stolen cars. To vandalised buildings. To broken store front windows and brazen break and enters.
Without purpose or direction, too many young people drift onto the wrong path.
Too often, that path leads straight into the justice system.
This is the reality we are determined to change.
But one of the biggest problems we have faced is that our education system has not always kept pace with that reality.
For too long, it has operated in silos.
Programs existed. Schools worked hard. Community organisations stepped in.
But the system did not properly connect those efforts.
And that is where too many young people fell through the cracks.
In places like Cairns, we already have excellent re-engagement programs. The BUSY School, the Open Learning Campus, Catholic Education Holy Spirit Schools, and community-based services are doing incredible work reconnecting young people to education.
But under the previous legislative framework, these pathways were not always clearly recognised.
A young person could be actively participating in a program, rebuilding their confidence, and engaging with learning again, and still be counted as disengaged simply because they were not in a traditional classroom.
This Bill fixes that.
It does not replace those programs. It strengthens them.
It recognises that re-engagement is a legitimate and essential part of the education journey.
It allows schools, government and community organisations to work together to support students back into education, training or employment.
Our Government is serious about breaking cycles of disadvantage and offending, and we are serious about education as part of that solution.
We are already seeing that approach reflected on the ground.
The new Ohana Youth Justice School being delivered in Cairns is a clear example.
In Cairns we have close to 60 serious repeat youth offenders continuing to cycle through the system.
Many have grown up without stability, without support, and without a clear sense of purpose. Many have the education of an 8-year-old.
But we cannot accept that as inevitable.
Education offers another pathway.
It provides structure, opportunity and, most importantly, hope.
It gives young people a reason to turn up, to try, and to believe in a different future.
That is what the Youth Justice School, Regional Reset and Kickstarter programs are about.
And this Bill provides the legislative foundation to support that work.
Because re-engagement is only part of the solution.
We also have to make sure that when young people are in the classroom, they are supported to succeed.
We are taking action to lift literacy and numeracy, including stronger participation in NAPLAN and the introduction of early phonics and numeracy checks in Year 1.
At the same time, we are tackling behaviour and safety in schools.
A $33 million Anti-bullying Action Plan, Behaviour Boost funding, rapid response teams, and expanded wellbeing support are helping create safer classrooms.
We are backing principals and teachers with the tools they need to manage increasingly complex classrooms.
This stands in stark contrast to the situation we inherited, where behaviour issues were escalating and teachers felt unsupported.
Another key part of this Bill is reducing unnecessary red tape.
Across Queensland, more than 57,000 teachers and 19,000 teacher aides support our students. In Far North Queensland, that means thousands of educators working across vast distances in challenging conditions.
They do not have large administrative teams or spare capacity.
This Bill reduces regulatory burden and gives teachers back time.
We have delivered more than 1,000 additional teachers and reduced vacancy rates to their lowest level in five years.
More students are choosing teaching as a career, with applications increasing by over 5 per cent.
Through the $221 million More Teachers, Better Education plan, we are strengthening the workforce and supporting teachers to build specialist capability.
We are also investing in wellbeing, behaviour support and workplace safety.
And we are embracing tools like Corelli AI to help reduce administrative burden.
These tools support teachers, they do not replace them.
Finally, want to acknowledge the arts reforms within this Bill.
As Assistant Minister for Creative Arts, I know that in regions like Far North Queensland, the arts are not an add-on.
In Far North Queensland, the arts are central to how we build identity, connection and opportunity.
Participation in music and the arts helps keep young people engaged in education and connected to their school and community.
That connection is critical, because when students feel engaged, they are far more likely to succeed.
Venues like CPAC and events like the Cairns Junior Eisteddfod are an important part of our community.
This week, thousands of students are taking part in the Eisteddfod across music, dance, speech and writing, and I wish them all the very best of luck.
While this Bill focuses on governance, it supports the system that allows those opportunities to exist and thrive.
As we head toward Brisbane 2032, it is essential that regional Queensland is ready to perform.
This Bill may not make headlines this week.
But it will impact communities right across Queensland.
It strengthens the system, connects the gaps, and supports young people to stay engaged.
Because no matter where a child lives, whether in Brisbane or the Barron River, they deserve the opportunity to succeed.
I support this Bill.
